How Far?
by Starskulls
Summary: When the Storm Hawks get captured by the Cyclonians, Aerrow must pass five tests to set him and his team free. It sounds simple enough. But when Cyclonis and the Dark Ace give him the tests, will he be able to pass them? Or will he fail? Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Alrighty then! This is one I made up in my head real quickly so I hope it's not too shabby so enjoy!:D I know I should be uploading my other story but I decided to put this one instead.**

Deep in the heart of Cyclonia, down in the damp cells, sky knight Aerrow sat by the cell walls. His knees were tucked up against his chest and his head rested on the top of his knees. He couldn't stand it. He and his team had been caught off guard with a cloaking crystal and they were all knocked out and brought here. The team were separated and Aerrow had no idea what Cyclonis had done to them or where she had put them. "It's my fault" he mumbled. If he had done a better job of protecting his team then they wouldn't be in this mess.

The cell that he was in was quite different from the other cells that he saw when he was dragged in here. It was a large rectangular shaped one with black walls and a little fire bolt crystal lighting up the room with a dim red glow. If Cyclonis wanted him dead then the Dark Ace could have killed him on the Condor so why didn't he, Aerrow thought to himself but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard the clank of a lock being opened and then a dim beam of light came from the opposite side of the room from Aerrow.

In walked the Dark Ace with a gleeful smile on his face. It thrilled him to see his sworn sky knight enemy looking helpless before him. "Aerrow, how nice to see you here" the Dark Ace sneered. Aerrow raised his head from his lap and glared at the Dar Ace with a face like thunder, "Get lost" he replied coldly. The Dark Ace was having none of that and he was about to kick Aerrow in the face when an icy voice stopped him. "Leave it Dark Ace, he'll need his strength" the voice said. Scowling, the Dark Ace retreated backwards through the door and it shut once again.

This time, the fire bolt crystal on the ceiling lit up even more so all of the cell room was clearly visible. Knowing that something was going to happen, Aerrow slowly got to his feet and kept his eyes open cautiously. Suddenly on side of the cell wall lifted up to reveal a clear solid glass wall with the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis standing beside him. "Now Aerrow I am going to ask you a question and I want you to answer truthfully" Cyclonis said with a gleam coming to her eye. Aerrow raised an eyebrow but nodded at her suspiciously. Cyclonis wasn't one to ask questions, she usually answered them with a threat. "How much does your team mean to you?" she asked.

Aerrow's head snapped up when she said that. How much did his team mean to him? They weren't just his team they were his friends and family. They were his whole world and if anything happened to them…. well let's just say he may do something that might get him locked up in jail for life. "They mean more to me than anything and I would do anything to protect them" Aerrow answered, loud enough for all the Cyclonians to hear. Cyclonis and the Dark Ace exchanged looks which looked like trouble and they turned back to the sky knight.

"Well Aerrow, I have a proposal for you" Cyclonis said. Aerrow gave a confused look, proposal? Since when does Cyclonis give proposals? "It's simple, you must go through five tests, one for each member of your team and if you pass them all you and your team will go free" the Dark Ace explained and he couldn't help but smile. Aerrow thought about this, there has to be a catch. "What if I don't pass the tests?" he asked curiously.

The Dark Ace raised a finger and moved it back and forth across his throat. Aerrow breath caught in his throat; so if he didn't pass then his team would die? Well that wasn't gonna happen!


	2. Chapter 2

"Fine, let's get this over with" Aerrow mumbled. The Dark Ace chuckled under his breath and he pulled a switch on a control panel on the wall beside him. Aerrow looked around cautiously in case that was a test but it wasn't. Instead another side of the wall on the other side of the sky knight opened up and there, standing on a stool each, was his team mates with a red spotlight over each of them.

Aerrow's eyes widened at the sight of his team. "Guys!" he called to them and reaching out to them even though they were behind the glass with no way of breaking through. "Aerrow!" Piper called desperately. They all looked very tired and strained. It looked like they have stood on those stools for a long time, Aerrow thought. Their hands were tied together tightly and Aerrow could make out the rope burns around their wrists much to his disgust. Cyclonis have no right to do that to his team!

The Dark Ace's cold voice interrupted his thoughts and Aerrow turned his attention to Cyclonis, his glare cold and unforgiving. Cyclonis smiled and cleared her throat, "Now then, let's start your first test" she started but Finn interrupted rudely. "Tests? That's all he has to do? Man, Cyclonis you're going down!" Finn declared and the others agreed with cheeky smiles. Cyclonis didn't seem bothered but she gave them an evil glare. "I didn't say that they were…easy tests" she smirked and that brought dismayed looks to the teams faces. "Are we going to do the tests or not?" Aerrow snapped at Cyclonis who then nodded at the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace smiled back and pressed a button on the wall. A clinking noise was heard and a shiny object shot across the floor and stopped at Aerrow's feet. Aerrow looked down at in awe and when he picked it up he could clearly see what it was and it almost made his heart stop. It was a sharp dagger that glinted with danger in the dim light. Aerrow glanced at it; a feeling of dread churning in his stomach.

The others saw the dagger and they gasped in horror. This time Cyclonis had gone too far! Finn managed to hold his tongue in case Cyclonis cancelled the proposal. "The first test will be for your pet" Cyclonis declared pointing to Radarr who growled at being called a pet. Aerrow turned to his furry co-pilot with a stiff glance and then looked at the Dark Ace, "What do I have to do?" he asked. The Dark Ace chuckled again and said "Slice the blade deep across both of your arms close to your shoulders and the critter lives."

**May I just say thanks for the reviews and the next chapter will be up soon if I get more reviews xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

Wow I have had 7 reviews in two chapters! Thanks a lot! I reward you with a nice new chapter! Well I wouldn't say nice… but read it anyway please:D

If the glass wasn't in front of him the Aerrow would have run forward and stabbed the Dark Ace and Cyclonis rapidly but he knew what he had to do. Taking a deep breath he slowly raised the blade to his left arm and rested it there for a moment. His team watched him anxiously and Piper was praying for her sky knight. Closing his eyes and frowning, Aerrow took another deep breath and quickly pulled the blade across his arm and it left a deep, long cut there. Finn looked away as did the others; they couldn't stand it. Aerrow tried not to show any pain but then he put the blade in his other hand and did the same to his other shoulder so it would be over. The pain was far from over. Blood seeped out from his arms and dripped onto the floor and Aerrow found it really hard not to show any pain. His face started to go a little pale and a few beads of sweat were seen on his forehead.

Cyclonis gave the sky knight an evil smile as he dropped the blade with a grunt and stood up straight. "I did the first test so Radarr lives" Aerrow said strongly. Keeping her word, Cyclonis pulled a lever and the red light above Radarr turned to yellow. Radarr let out a relieved chirp and gazed gratefully at his boy. Aerrow gave him a smile but turned away so he could wince at the pain in his arms. "The next test will be for your merb" the Dark Ace said pointing to Stork who was cowering like a baby on his stool. "What is it?" Aerrow mumbled. Cyclonis pressed another button and a click was heard and a long thick piece of metal slide across the floor and stopped at Aerrow's feet. Aerrow grunted as he bent down and picked it up despite the strain in his arm and looked at it to find that it was a plain piece of metal.

"Simple, give yourself an extremely hard blow to the head and he lives" Cyclonis explained, a smile coming to her lips. Aerrow stared at the metal for a minute wondering how he was going to do it but then he realized that there was only one way and the Dark Ace seemed to know it too. "You do it" Aerrow scowled at the Dark Ace. The Dark Ace just raised an eyebrow at him and smirked back. "Hmm, my pleasure," he answered gleefully. The metal door opened and the Dark Ace walked while cracking his knuckles. Looking at Piper's horrified expression; Aerrow could tell that she thought this was a bad idea so he winked at her to reassure her. Handing the piece of metal to the Dark Ace, Aerrow then clenched his fists and teeth for the pain that he was about to endure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Excellent! I have had awesome reviews and even story alerts! You deserve a nice chapter. Waring!~ this chapter gets a little sick but read anyway**

Still smiling, the Dark Ace looked at the metal and then at the sky knight; he had waited a long time for this. With a yell, the Dark Ace swung the metal as hard as he could and it collided with the side of Aerrow's head with a loud CRACK! The pain in his head was too much for Aerrow and he fell on the floor will a sharp yelp of pain. Laughing cruelly, the Dark Ace dropped the piece of metal by the fallen sky knight and retreated back to Cyclonis.

Aerrow had never felt so dizzy and sick in his life. The side of his head was pulsing like mad and he was already getting a headache. Lifting his hand to his head, Aerrow could feel a large bump there and he was sure the bruise would be huge. Getting up slowly and steadily, Aerrow turned to face the Cyclonians who couldn't help but smirk at him but Aerrow managed to hold back his anger. "I did it" he scowled. Nodding, Cyclonis pulled a lever and the light above Stork went yellow. Stork looked so relieved that if he was on the Condor he may have fainted. "The next test is for the wallop" the Dark Ace said looking at the quivering creature. Aerrow looked at Junko and his eyes were as big as puppy eyes; he looked terrified. "This test requires that knife again. All you have to do is slash yourself across the chest but not as deep as last time" Cyclonis told him gleefully.

Aerrow looked at the knife which was laying on the floor a few steps away from him. Walking slowly over to it and bending over, Aerrow found it very hard to pick it up because of the strain in his arms and there was more blood coming from the wounds. When he finally managed to pick it up, he placed the tip of the blade on his chest and took a deep breath. This is for Junko, Aerrow told himself. Clenching his teeth, he pulled the blade across his chest and fresh blood started seep through his uniform. Piper and Finn couldn't help but cry out for their friend; they couldn't stand the pain that he was going through. Aerrow felt so dizzy that he could barely stand up; he could see two of everything. He felt as though he couldn't breathe and he placed a bloody hand on his chest.

Looking at Cyclonis he nodded at her to tell her that he did it. She'd have to be stupid to not see it, Aerrow thought. Cyclonis let out a high pitched laugh; she was enjoying every minute of this as was the Dark Ace. Pulling another lever, the light above Junko turned yellow and Junko was smiling hugely at his leader.

"You lasted much longer than I expected Aerrow" the Dark Ace admitted. Aerrow growled at him, "Shut up and tell me the next test" he replied. The Dark Ace decided to ignore the comment and nodded at Cyclonis. "Now this one is for your sharpshooter" Cyclonis said obviously referring to Finn. Aerrow looked at him and Finn just as terrified as Junko had and he was shaking on his stool.

"Stab your left leg and he lives" Cyclonis told him.

**Ouch! Now its getting serious! Review to find out more! Ignore if you don't want to find out ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey again! I have had awesome reviews for the last few chapters so I figured you would want another one! Enjoy! Warning~ It gets very… deadly in this chapter but read anyway**

Finn gasped at this; Aerrow couldn't do that to himself! Could he? Aerrow looked at Finn and then at the knife. Finn was his first best friend and he had always been there for him. With the blade still in his hand, Aerrow quickly raised and stabbed it deep into his leg and he screamed in pain. He couldn't hold the scream back; the pain was too much to bear. His team screamed as well; that must have hurt! A lot! The Dark Ace raised an eyebrow at Aerrow. He didn't think Aerrow would actually do it but it still made him smile.

Now breathing heavily, Aerrow twisted the blade round into his leg to show Cyclonis that he was serious and he wasn't messing around anymore. Cyclonis actually looked impressed at his cooperation but she cleared her throat as Aerrow pulled the blade out of his leg and threw it across the room. Aerrow had never been through so much pain in his life, ever. His whole world felt as if it was going to collapse. He only had one more test and then he and his team would be free.

"Now for the final test which is for Piper and this test require your teams' assistance" Cyclonis explained with and evil glare coming to her eyes. Aerrow raised his eyes to Cyclonis; he could barely keep his eyes open because of the amount of blood that he had lost. Cyclonis pulled yet another lever on the wall and the glass in front of his friends lifted up and their ropes on their wrists snapped off. Now seeing that they were free, they all ran towards their fallen leader as fast as their legs would carry them.

Aerrow grunted painfully as he tried to lift himself off the ground. Junko and Finn ran to Aerrow's side, each helping to pull him to his feet and support him as he swayed. "Aerrow, why are you doing this to yourself?" Finn asked with exasperation. Aerrow refused to answer that the question because it was pretty obvious. Grunting painfully, he clutched his chest to try and stop the blood coming through but it didn't help. "Do I really need to answer that?" he replied smiling. Finn didn't find this funny, "Aerrow I'm serious!" Finn shouted but Stork hushed him. Aerrow shook his head, "I am too Finn, I only have one more test to do and then we can leave" he said. Piper looked away sadly; the other tests have been hard enough so what would his test for her be?

Cyclonis let them have a reunion for about two minutes but then she clapped her hands and the Storm Hawks eyes were all on her. "This test is a little different. See those shackles in the corner?" Cyclonis said pointing to the corner of the room. Everyone followed her finger to see a pair of shackles on the wall and the slate of metal was lying by it and it was covered in Aerrow's scarlet blood. "Yeah" Aerrow mumbled and he could tell where this was going. "Put Aerrow in them and pick up the slate" the Dark Ace ordered. Nodding to his disgust, Aerrow hobbled over on Junko's shoulder and he plopped onto the ground painfully.

Holding out his hands to Radarr, Aerrow gave him the look at what to do. Radarr whimpered in protest but the look Aerrow gave him said it all. The critter hopped over to the shackles and fastened them tightly but not too tight because of his arms. Junko then remembered that he had to pick up the slate and it sickened him to find his leader's blood on it. If there weren't any tests now, he would break down the glass and bring the others to the Condor to be free but he knew that wouldn't work.

The team took a step back and took a look at their leader and Piper couldn't help but cry. Aerrow looked as if he was about to knock on death's door. His skin was ashen, his hair was matted to his forehead, the arm, his chest, arm and leg wounds had opened up even more and there was now a pool of love blood around him. The most terrifying thing about him was his eyes. From the joyful, happy and sparkle of his green eyes had vanished and it was replaced with a dull and pained green with hardly any energy left.

"What is the last test?" Aerrow asked weakly, not bothering to look up. Cyclonis and the Dark Ace exchanged yet another evil look at each other and then at the Storm Hawks. "You all have to take it in turns to hit his leg with slate…until it breaks" Cyclonis said calmly.

**Dun…dun…dunnnn! Didn't see that coming did ya? Well I hope you liked it and I will update more chapters soon if I get lots of reviews! Thanks!xxxxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey there! I'm soooo sorry I haven't been able to update for a while but school is getting in the way of my writing! Anyway thank you so much for your reviews that have told me to continue and update this story. Also I must thank you for the follows and favourites too. Okay I've said enough so here is the chapter! Enjoy:D**

_**Previously:**_

_**What is the last test?" Aerrow asked weakly, not bothering to look up. Cyclonis and the Dark Ace exchanged yet another evil look at each other and then at the Storm Hawks. "You all have to take it in turns to hit his leg with slate…until it breaks" Cyclonis said calmly.**_

The team erupted into cries of protests when she said that, "Are you nuts?!" Finn shrieked, "There is no way we are doing that!" Piper protested. Cyclonis shook her head, "It's Aerrow's choice if he wants Piper to live or not" Cyclonis replied. The team looked at Aerrow to see what he said and the answer got them screaming again, "Do it."

"Aerrow please don't make us do it" Junko pleaded and Stork made a praying motion with his hands. Aerrow was now crying on the inside and his heart was breaking. He didn't want to make his friends to break his leg but it was to save Piper and to save the team so there was no other choice. "Guys, I'm doing this for you, to save and protect you. If you really are my friends, then you will do as I say and not just because I'm your sky knight" Aerrow said quietly but loud enough for his team to hear.

Everyone exchanged sad looks and Piper cried even harder but they all nodded so Cyclonis clapped her hands again. "Good. Now it will take several hits to break his leg so each of you will have a hit each" Cyclonis instructed. Junko realized that he had the slate in his hands and he went to put it down to not be the one to go first but the Dark Ace stopped him. "Ah ah ah! You have the slate so you go first!" the Dark Ace shouted at the wallop. Junko sighed and started to cry as he advanced towards Aerrow with his the slate in his hand raised to him. Aerrow knew what was coming so stretched out his leg which had had no damage...up until now.

As Junko was about to strike, Aerrow closed his eyes and looked away and prepared for the pain. The slate slammed down onto Aerrow leg just below his knee-cap. The pain was unbearable but Aerrow managed to hold back a scream but not a yell and this made Junko cry. "I'm sorry!" Junko cried covering his face but Aerrow looked at him and smiled, "It's okay, I've had worse" he said weakly and he gave the wallop a reassuring grin which made him smile. Junko then gave the slate to a shaky Stork who took it and held it to his chest. Aerrow twitched his leg a little and a shock of pain spiralled up his leg instantly. Even though he couldn't touch it, Aerrow could feel a crack forming on the bone but he didn't care. Nothing mattered at this point only that he got the hits.

Stork raised the slate in his hand and covered his eyes with his free hand and brought the slate down. It smacked the same spot on Aerrow leg and there was a small CRACK! Aerrow held back a yell this time because it strangely didn't hurt this time. Stork then raised the slate and gave it to Radarr and then the Merb fainted into Junko's arms. Radar looked at his boy and then the slate and he shook his furry head. Aerrow knew he would protest so he nodded at the co-pilot as if to say _'Trust me.' _Radarr saw his boy's look and he knew that he had to do it. Gripping the slate in both hands since he was only small and he thrust it at Aerrow's leg with surprising strength.

Aerrow felt a surge of pain spiral up his body this time and he felt the crack on his leg go wider. Radarr then howled as he handed the slate to Finn whose eyes had gone huge at this point. The blonde's eyes were wet with tears as he gripped the slate with a sweaty hand and looked at his best friend. He had known Aerrow for a long time and he had always listened to him and he wasn't going to stop for Aerrow's sake. Yelling he swung the slate down and this time, Aerrow's leg made a very loud CRACK! Aerrow couldn't hold back a scream for this one and his scream echoed through the halls of Cyclonia. His leg was almost broken and he needed one more hit.

Cyclonis and the Dark Ace were watching closely and they were quite impressed with the sky knight guts; they didn't think he could go this far but obviously they were mistaken. "Come on Piper, one more hit from you and then you're all free" Cyclonis declared and Aerrow couldn't decide if she was teasing her or not.

Finn looked as if he was about to die on the spot at what he just did. Looking away, he gave the slate to the navigator who almost dropped it because she was in tears. Aerrow saw her hesitate and when she looked at him to say that she couldn't do it, he gave her a wink. Piper saw his wink and she knew she had to do it not just for her sake or the teams but Aerrow's too. Scrunching her eyes and clenching her teeth, she started to raise the slate above her head and took one look at Aerrow's face. Aerrow looked so helpless for a change and the only way for him to be free was to do this.

With a yell, she swung the slate above her head…..

**CLIFFHANGER! I know I should leave it like that but you know me and my cliffhangers ;) Will Piper do it or not? Will the team escape? There's only one way you'll find out. Reviews plz for more chapters! Thanks again and I hope you liked it :)**


	7. VOTES!

**Hey again!**

**Sorry this isn't a real chapter. Actually I am here to ask for your help. I am stuck on writing the next chapter for this story and I only have a rough idea of what will happen but I want to know what YOU think:) **

**This chapter is a voting chapter so I will give you some choices to pick from and then if you want to, you pick the one you want and review your choice:) **

**Here we go!**

**Piper does break Aerrow's leg and the team is set free but something else happens when they are away from Cyclonia and aboard the Condor.**

**Piper couldn't do it and she refused.**

**Piper breaks Aerrow leg but he dies a few seconds later due to the pain and blood loss.**

**Not very good choices I know and I should have put up a poll on my profile but I had a reason not to. For every reviewer that votes, I will give a strawberry or chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles in the next chapter! If there is another chapter that is ;) The choice is yours!**

**Okay see ya soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow! Thank you so much to all the people who voted! I honestly thought that I wouldn't get loads but I did so thank you so much! Now will reveal the winning chapter… *drumroll* **

**CHOICE 1!**

**I must say though, Choice 2 was quite close! **

**Choice 1: 8 votes. Choice 2: 5 votes. Choice 3: 0 votes**

**I kinda knew that nobody was gonna votes for Choice 3 cause I don't think many people wanted Aerrow to die. I didn't either to tell you the truth but I wanted to know what you thought :) Oh yes! I made a promise! I will say all the people names who voted and I will hand you all a cupcake!**

**Midnighter12: Thanks for the vote! There will be AxP in the chapter! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**RyuNoRainbow: Thanks for voting! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Crazychick14: here's your cupcake and thanks for voting! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Amethyst Sparrow: Thanks for your vote. Don't worry, I think you'll be pleased! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Iamafanoftoomanythings: Thanks for the vote! Yeah, episode 40 is so an AxP moment! They should've kissed! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Gyroscope: Thanks for the vote which I must say, was very detailed! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Esmeraldasnarkle: Thanks for the vote! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Lioness and Axel 4ever: Thanks for voting! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Assozat: Thanks for the vote! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Guest: Thanks for voting but Cyclonis and the Dark Ace were behind the glass, remember? *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Jenn.66: Thanks for voting! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Sithlord12345: Thanks for the vote! *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Louilover: Thanks for the vote! Yes, Aerrow and the others will be permanently scarred from this event. *hands you a strawberry and chocolate cupcake with rainbow sprinkles***

**Is that everyone? Well, many thanks again and I really hope you enjoy this chapter! **

_**Previously**_

_**Scrunching her eyes and clenching her teeth, she started to raise the slate above her head and took one look at Aerrow's face. Aerrow looked so helpless for a change and the only way for him to be free was to do this.**_

_**With a yell, she swung the slate above her head…**_

With a yell, she swung the slate above her head. Hearing her, Aerrow looked away and braced himself for the pain. Bringing the slate down on Aerrow's leg, the slate slammed onto the bone with all her might. As it collided, his leg finally gave away and there was a loud _CRACK_, that made the team cover their ears and it even made the Dark Ace and Cyclonis cringe. Aerrow screamed at the top of his lungs as the pain shot up his body and he saw his leg cripple and go limp. Even though it wasn't her leg that was broken, Piper let out a shrill scream and flung the slate across the room and dropped to her knees.

Now seeing their friend crippled and wounded, Junko bawled his eyes out, Finn pulled up a sobbing Piper and held her and fought back his own tears, Stork stood emotionlessly and horrified, and Radarr let out a mournful howl. Aerrow was grinding his teeth and clenching his fists to stop the pain but he couldn't stop panting and he was sweating too.

Noticing that Aerrow had broken his leg, Cyclonis clapped her hands and the Storm Hawks minus Aerrow, shot her cold stares. "Well, Aerrow completed the tests so you can go free" Cyclonis said looking quite surprised but pleased. Finn scowled at her, "Why are you so happy?" he snapped. Cyclonis smirked at him, "It pleases me to watch a sky knight suffer especially Aerrow of the Storm Hawks and next time my Talons catch you, it won't be so easy" she answered him. Radarr growled at the empress and hopped over to Aerrow and undid his shackles. Once they were undone, Aerrow arms collapsed into his lap and he leaned back onto the wall, breathing slowly. The Dark Ace pulled another lever and a purple warp crystal appeared in the middle of the room.

Piper saw it immediately and dashed over and swiped it before Cyclonis did anything else. Then running back to her team, she held on hand out to Finn who took it tightly. Finn then held out his hand to Stork and he surprisingly didn't complain about germs and Stork then held Radarr's paw. Junko saw what the others were doing but first he picked up Aerrow and held him in his arms protectively so Cyclonis wouldn't hurt him again. Radarr then held onto Junko's leg tightly and looked up at his boy worriedly who eyes were closed wearily. Aerrow's head rested against Junko's chest whilst getting blood on it from his chest and head wound. His leg was scarily crippled and his arm and leg wounds had opened up even more and blood was spilling out of them.

The Storm Hawks gave Cyclonis one last cold glare and she waved at them, "Until we meet again" she snarled. Piper scowled at her, "Not gonna happen!" she shot back and with a flick of Piper's wrist, they teleported away. Once they were gone, the Dark Ace looked at Cyclonis curiously, "Why let them go? Why couldn't we finish them off for good?" he asked. Cyclonis chuckled and smiled at her henchman, "Now we know their bonds, we can finally crush them" Cyclonis said clenching a fist. The Dark Ace was still confused; they could have killed them right here and now so why didn't she? Cyclonis saw his expression, and smiled at her henchman again, "You didn't enjoy the torture?" she asked. The Dark Ace smiled; what cyclonian wouldn't enjoy it? "I loved it" he answered gleefully. "You shouldn't worry Dark Ace. The Storm Hawks are weakened and now they will be wiped clean in a single blow."

The Storm Hawks appeared back on the Condor which had been left a few feet away from Cyclonia. Why it was left there was a mystery but that didn't matter. Aerrow was losing a lot of blood and he needed help. NOW!

"Junko, take Aerrow to the infirmary and Finn you go and help him! Stork, fly us away from here as fast as the Condor can go!" Piper ordered frantically. Junko and Finn nodded with terrified expressions and they ran off down the hall with a trail of the sky knight's blood dripping onto the floor behind them. Stork ran over to the steering wheel as quickly as he could whilst Piper and Radarr clung onto the rails tightly. Stork then pushed forward on the helm, pressing the gas for all it was worth. The Condor shot forward like a rocket and Piper almost fell over! Stork only stopped the engines when they were far away from Cyclonia. Once it had stopped, Piper, Stork and Radarr all dashed off to the infirmary where the others were, worried for their sky knight's life. When they got there, they saw Junko putting Aerrow on the bed and Finn was getting some water frantically. "Stork, do something!" Piper shouted, looking at Aerrow with terrified eyes. He was now so pale, she could almost look right through him! Blood was already starting to stain the bed and Aerrow was clutching his chest whilst groaning in pain. His leg was horribly crippled and it almost made Piper sick to think that she was responsible for breaking it.

Stork took immediate action. He grabbed his white lab coat which he used for injuries and his rubber gloves in case he got infected. Finn had the water in a bowl and he gave it to Stork along with a towel. Junko had put Aerrow on the bed and he backed away with watery eyes of sorrow. "Okay everyone has to leave" Stork ordered not taking his eyes off the wounds on Aerrow. Nobody questioned his orders, they all retreated back to the bridge and sat around the meeting table in silence and the infirmary door closed behind them. Once they were all sat at the table, no one spoke for a few minutes until Finn said, "I can't believe he did that."

Piper raised her eyes to the sharpshooter and she sighed too. "I know, he did all of that for us" she said quietly. Junko couldn't take it anymore and neither could Radarr. They broke down into tears and Radarr howled in despair and put his head in his paws.

"Poor Aerrow! We actually broke his leg! Why didn't I say no?" Junko wailed. Finn walked over to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry" he said softly although he was panicking in his head as was Piper and Radarr.

Suddenly Stork poked his head out of the infirmary and looked at the team with scared eyes. "Just to let you know there will be so screams will be heard because I have to stitch his wounds" Stork said quite calmly despite the situation. Piper felt quite scared about the screams but she nodded, "Do what you have to do Stork" she replied stiffly. Stork gave a quick nod and went back into the infirmary and the door locked behind him. The team sat down around the meeting table not saying a word for several minutes. All they could do was pray and hope for their leader and friend.

It had been an hour and Piper couldn't stand it anymore. Aerrow's screams of pain where heard and they echoed around the Condor and refused to go away. Junko and Finn were even more anxious, Radarr was chewing his tail lightly and Piper was pacing impatiently. Why was Stork taking so long? Was Aerrow dying? That was one question that was refused to be believed.

Suddenly a crackle was heard for the communicator radio on the ceiling. Piper and the others turned their heads towards it as it whirred to life. "_Storm Hawks, this is Starling. Do I have permission to come aboard?" _the sky knight asked. Even though Piper was a huge fan of Starling, she really wasn't that up to it today after what happened but she couldn't say no. Without answering back she walked over to the ships control panel and pulled a lever. The opening gate of the hanger bay opened and Starling noticed this. Happily she flew towards the ship and landed with a halt in the hanger bay, eager to see her friends. Walking to the bridge to see the team, she was in a very cheery mood. She had just stopped another evil scheme of Repton and she had gained a load of crystals from it. "Hey guys, how's it going?" Starling asked as she entered the bridge. She was immediately taken aback by their fallen faces but she managed to stay alert.

"What's wrong?" she asked and she noticed that Aerrow wasn't here and neither was Stork, "Where's Aerrow and Stork?" she added. Piper could see that Junko and Finn didn't want to explain so she stepped forward shakily. "You might want to sit down" Piper said stiffly.

A few minutes later after Piper had explained to Starling what happened, the sky knight was almost on the brink of tears. Cyclonis had done some pretty evil things in her lifetime but this was the worst that she had done. Placing a hand on Piper's shoulder, Starling pulled her into a hug which Piper returned gratefully. Sighing deeply, Piper leant against the sky knight's shoulder, "I hope he'll be okay" she whispered. Taking Piper by the shoulders and pulling her away so they were face to face Starling looked at her sternly, "He will be."

Finn heard their conversation and he stood up, "Then why is Stork taking so long?" he demanded. Junko grabbed his arm and pulled him down into his seat because he could see Finn was starting to lose his temper. Piper was about to object to Finn but another one of Aerrow's screams stopped her. Finn's expression softened and he gave Piper a guilty look, "Sorry" he mumbled. Piper smiled at him, "It's okay" she replied, knowing how frustrated and scared he must be.

Looking at Radarr, she saw that Radarr had stopped chewing his tail and his ears had pricked up. Piper was about to ask him what was wrong but she was answered when the infirmary door opened.

Stork walked out and he looked like he was going to faint. His white lab coat had gone from white to red. There were loads of red splotches of blood all over his coat and his rubber gloves were dripping with blood too. Piper nearly puked on the floor; that must have been difficult! Junko and Finn had terrified expressions as did Starling and Radarr. Snapping out of her sudden sickness, Piper walked forward to Stork, "Well?" she asked, her voice quivering. Stork didn't reply but he bowed his head with a look that could make toddlers burst into tears. Finn looked confused, why would he…? Oh no. "Stork! What's wrong?" Starling burst out. Stunned by the sky knight's outburst and the look on Finn's face she had it figured out in horror.

Not wanting to listen to Stork's comment, Piper dashed past him and ran to the infirmary and the others followed her closely. When she got there and looked inside she stopped dead in her tracks. The others stopped with a jolt behind her and then their eyes rested on the infirmary bed and Starling raised a hand to her mouth.

On the bed, Aerrow lay there and he looked so scarily pale it almost made Piper pass out. Both of his arms from his elbows up to his shoulders and his chest was bandaged tightly too. His head had a deep dark bruise there but Stork couldn't put a bandage on that. On his right leg was another tight bandage from the stab wound and his broken leg was in a hung up cast. He looked like he had looked death right in the face and death had hit him.

"He isn't..?" Piper started but Stork shook his head. "No thank Atmos" he replied causing everyone to breathe out huge sighs of relief. "That's the good news" Stork said causing the others to go pale again. "I don't really want to know the bad news but tell us" Finn said with a whimper. Stork took in a deep breath, "The impact on his leg that… we hit took severe damage. Even with a Nil crystal the damage will stay there which means…" Stork started but trailed off. Piper's terrified eyes met Stork's, "What is it Stork?" she asked shakily. Stork took in a deep breath but managed to say, "He may not walk again."

The team let out horrified gasp and cries of horror and dismay. Being a sky knight was Aerrow's life! Worse still… it was entirely their fault. Piper went right up to him and just stood there in a daze. Her whole world was coming apart, Aerrow must walk again! He had too! "No…" Junko quavered but Finn finished the sentence, "It's our fault" Finn said, tears starting to spill down his cheeks. "It isn't your fault!" Starling said but she burst into tears too and she turned to rest her head on Junko's shoulder, refusing to look. Radarr clung onto Finn's leg and started to howl in sadness. "I couldn't believe it. I tried everything" Stork said quietly but loud enough for the team to hear.

Piper couldn't stand anymore and she fell to her knees, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. He was gone. Aerrow; the perfect sky knight, the perfect best friend and her perfect first love. Now he was scarred and crippled for life. "What do we do now?" Junko whispered. Starling raised her head but still refused to look, "Whenever a sky knight is hurt like this, the council must be told" she replied. "No" Piper said and the others turned to look at her, "Please wait" Piper said without turning around. Finn and Starling exchanged looks but shrugged their shoulders, "Go on" Finn replied, knowing how hard this must be for her and not just everyone else.

Piper raised herself up off her knees a little so she could hover above Aerrow a little bit. She then lowered her head to his ear and whispered, "This belongs to you and always will." Raising her head back up so she could look at his face, she brushed a lock of his red hair out of his face and placed her hand on his cold cheek. Closing her eyes, she lowered her head down to his and her lips touched his.

Finn and Starling's eyes widened and their mouths dropped open. Piper…loved him? Junko and Stork's eyes widened aswell although Stork's jaw almost touched the floor. Radarr however, let out growl of content; he knew that she had feelings for his boy because he had sneakily looked in her diary.

Piper's lips felt warm against Aerrow's. She had wanted to do this for a long time and even though it felt like she was kissing an icicle, she loved every second of it. Pulling her lips away from the sky knight's she retreated back towards the others without looking at them. She stood there for a moment until she felt Finn's hand on her shoulder and she turned around to find a solemn look on his face. "You liked him like that?" he asked and Piper nodded, "For quite some time" she replied quietly. For a moment nobody spoke until Stork told the others to get out of the room so Aerrow could rest. "We'll see how he is in the morning" Stork said shutting the door behind him. Piper did nothing but crept back to her room and cried. Finn asked Starling if she wanted to stay the night and she agreed at once. Everything was silent on the Condor that night. But what awaited the team the next morning gave everyone the shock of their lives.

**Well there you have it! Plz let me know what you think with some reviews! Thanks! Also if you like my stories, then you can go onto my profile and vote on my poll which asks what stories that you would like me to write! Only if you want to of course:) Well bye for now!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey there! It's been a LONG time since I updated this story. I wasn't giving up on it but I was thinking about writing a sequel to this. Not sure though but enough of that! Sorry the chapter is so short but I hope its okay. Thank you so much for all of your reviews throughout this story!**

The next morning was dark and gloomy. Everyone felt the same way on the Condor that morning too. Piper had just awoken from a dreamless sleep and she yawned loudly. Then she froze in shock. Was it all just a dream? A horrible terrifying dream? Closing her eyes, she looked down at her wrists and she saw to her dismay and horror, that there were rope burns from where she had been standing while she watched Aerrow… Oh dear god. What had she done? Quickly, she leapt out of bed and ran to the bridge as fast as she could. When she got there, she saw Finn, Junko, Starling and Radarr sitting round the table with some toast in front of them. Nobody had touched the toast but Radarr was poking his but made no attempt to eat it. Crossing her fingers behind her back, Piper looked at Finn, "Please tell me that it's not real" she said trembling. Finn raised his eyes at Piper with a face like death, "I wish" he replied.

Piper felt fresh tears spilling down her cheeks and she covered her hands with her face and started to weep. Starling got up and hugged Piper, "I know Piper, don't cry" she whispered gently. Piper tried to stop but her emotions took over and she wept even more. "I have informed the council and they said they will do anything to help" Starling told the navigator who remained silent. "Stork has just gone to check on Aerrow" Junko said quietly but everyone heard it. "What difference does it make? Aerrow can never walk again" Piper sobbed loudly. Everyone bowed their heads for a moment or two.

Suddenly, Stork appeared looking very flustered and his face was red with excitement. Everyone turned to face the merb and when they saw his expression, they all leapt to their feet. "What is it?" Junko asked at once followed by Radarr's cry of alarm. "It's Aerrow's condition! I…I can't explain it! Come quickly!" Stork spluttered and then he dashed off back to the infirmary. Everyone immediately followed; all anxious and scared of what they were about to see. When they got there what they saw shocked them and amazed them.

**Again, sorry its so short but i will updated if i get some reviews. If you want me to write a sequel or not, you can say if you want:) okay thanks again!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I cannot believe my eyes! All the reviews, favourites and follows I have had are AMAZING! *Dances about in joy* I'm sorry I am just SO happy! Well sad to say that this is the end of this story but don't worry. I am planning on writing a sequel to this story but I'm not sure what to call it yet but as soon as I post it, I will write that it's the sequel okay? Good! Well this is the last chapter and if you love AxP… then I think that you'll like this! Okay enjoy!**

The room was bright with the shocking sunlight that shone through the open window but that wasn't what amazed the team. There in the middle of the room, holding two crutches and balancing on them on one leg, was Aerrow. The bruise on his head had miraculously faded very quickly and it could hardly be seen. His skin looked lively again and when the sky knight turned to face them, they saw a wonderful sight. His eyes were the brightest green and they were sparkling with glee. "Hey guys" Aerrow said smiling.

Everyone was completely gob smacked for a moment or two until Radarr let out a happy chirp and he dashed toward his boy and hugged his leg tightly but he was careful with him. Aerrow leaned down and scratched the critter on his chin and Radarr let out a contented growl. Finn and Junko then let out wild cheers and ran towards Aerrow who laughed in response.

"Dude you're alright!" Finn said happily and he slapped Aerrow a high five, "We thought we lost you!" Junko said and he carefully hugged Aerrow to avoid breaking any more bones. "Thanks guys" Aerrow replied and he then looked over at Piper and Starling and smiles appeared on their faces. "Aerrow!" Starling said with tears of joy spilling down her cheeks and she rushed forward and hugged Aerrow who hugged her back with one arm. When they pulled apart, she smiled at him, looking very relieved. That was the first time that the Interceptor had shed a tear or any kind of sad emotion, Aerrow realized.

Finally, Aerrow turned to look at Piper who was just standing there with a huge smile on her face. Unable to hold back, Piper ran towards Aerrow and embraced him in a hug that Aerrow could definitely not refuse and he hugged her back. When they pulled away from each other, nobody said a word for a minute until Aerrow said that stunned everyone, "Did you really mean what you said to me yesterday Piper?" Piper's literally popped out of her head, "But… you were unconscious! You… you didn't move… or nothing!" Piper said and she covered her face with her hands as she felt really embarrassed. Aerrow laughed and hopped over to her and gently pulled her hands down. "It's okay, I'm glad you did. It gave me strength" Aerrow said smiling. Piper looked at him, "Really?" she whispered. Aerrow placed a hand on the side of her face and wiped a nearby tear away. "Of course, I'd do anything for you, for all of you" Aerrow said looking around at his friends who all smiled but then Aerrow turned back to Piper.

Aerrow then leaned in and Piper leaned up to him and they kissed. Piper wrapped her arms around Aerrow's shoulders and Aerrow managed to slip his hand around her waist. Both of their eyes were closed as they kissed for a few seconds more. Starling and Finn smiled at the couple as did Junko and Radarr but Stork was mumbling something about a Love Fever. As the couple pulled apart but they still held hands, Finn wolf-whistled, "Now I know why they call it the kiss of life" he said smirking and Piper actually agreed with him. "Yeah, now I know too" she said looking at her new boyfriend.

Starling's expression changed as she walked up to Aerrow, "The council have told me to tell you that you must lay off your sky knight duties for a while until you are fit enough to get back out in the skies" Starling told him. She expected him to object but Aerrow surprisingly shrugged. "Okay, I will because I am home with my family" Aerrow said happily and the Storm Hawks let out cheers as they pulled in a group hug, thinking that all of this was behind them.

Well guess what? They thought wrong…

**Ooohh…. Still the end of a story but still there is a cliff hanger! Man, I LOVE cliff hangers! Oh and by the way someone mentioned that my cliff hangers were the definition of evil and for that I thank you! Okay that's all from me for now and I will hopefully be back soon with a brand new sequel and more chapters for my other stories! Until then… BYE!**


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